Hawai‘i Tropical Botanical Garden — Attraction in Hawaii

I very rarely leave google reviews but the owner appears to actually read each one and responds, and I feel my negative experience could have easily been prevented, so here we go. I looked up the rates online in advance as I'm a Paramedic and often businesses have a military/first responder discount as a mark of respect/appreciation for public service. Their discount wasn't clear, so when I arrived I asked if they sold discounted military/first responder tickets, because, if you don't ask, you don't get. There was an unfriendly strongly-accented Kiwi (very obvious given I'm Australian myself) and a native Hawaiian at the ticket desk. The Kiwi asked for a military card, I explained I'm a Paramedic. He turned to his colleague and asked if their military discount covers first responders. The Hawaiian shrugged and said he didn't know but said "I'd give it (the discount) to them". This is a common occurrence for my husband and I, as most businesses call it a military discount but when enquired they opt to extend the 'thank you' to EMS, particularly since COVID. The Kiwi asked for my ID card, which I provided, and whilst getting out my husband's (both Paramedics) the Kiwi scoffed "this is for London, you have to be a Hawaii first responder!". I remarked that in 5yrs of travelling roadtrips through all 50 states and entering many attractions/museums/NPS sites that offer a 'military/first responder' discount, he was the first person to have a problem with the location where I 'serve', and that the usual response to showing my ID is "thank you for your service". He proceeded to charge us full price as we are not Hawaii residents. I just found this a bit ironic, seeing as he himself is an immigrant, from literally the same part of the world as me, but looked at us like we were trash because we weren't Hawaiian/American. He actually sneered, it was outrageous. I paid because we'd travelled all this way and my husband wanted to get some nice photos, otherwise I would've taken our argument further; not because I think I'm entitled to discounts, not at all, but because a (clearly new) employee shouldn't be inventing company policy willy-nilly based on their personal prejudices, which was obviously what was happening. If we'd been served by the relaxed, happy-looking Hawaiian, there is no doubt in my mind we would've had a perfectly pleasant interaction, whether it resulted in full or discounted priced tickets. It's the 'service' part of ''customer service", yeah? After this debacle, we were then pushed to purchase deet-type products (which I was prepared for from other reviews), and, what I was astounded at: single-use plastic bottled water. Seriously? You're a 'nonprofit nature conservation' business, and you're selling planet-killing water bottles? Not only selling, but getting your sales staff to 'push' the product. May as well ask customers to throw the empty bottles in the sea down the bottom of the garden. At $32+ a pop and several families arriving each hour even in off-season, you're raking in thousands of $ a day - how about embrace environmental conservation and installation water refill and fountain stations throughout the gardens, like most other similar organisations? On that note, given the thousands $ profit per day, could someone please immediately rectify the signage issues? The first ~100m has good signage, most plants having an obvious corresponding staked label. After that, literally every time we saw a plant we were interested in = no signs whatsoever. Come on. We saw 1 gardener and 2 ticket 'checkers' in addition to the ticket seller staff - you CAN afford to add more signage so guests can properly learn whilst visiting. Take note that I'm not the first person to complain about this on here! Also, please immediately change the '1990s nightclub hand-stamp entry' method - I've got a receipt, that should be enough. The employee at the gate literally shouted WHOA! because he hadn't seen my husband's stamp. Made us feel like criminals- ironic given the criminally high entry fee! Nice plants though,...

I'm slightly torn about how to review this place because on one hand, the place is very well kept up, and very beautifully designed. It takes about 90 min to walk through the entire garden. If you love flowers, I'd still recommend it.

On the other hand, however, the beauty of the area couldn't remove the sour taste in my mouth from how capitalistic the experience felt. They market it as a non-profit, but as a tourist, it costs $30+ to enter the gardens. That's pretty expensive considering many botanic gardens around the world are free. Then, the welcome center attendant asked everyone if they'd like to buy $14 bug spray along with their ticket. There's nothing wrong with being opportunistic, but it doesn't make your guests feel good to feel taken advantage of.

The first 1/3rd of the garden is truly stunning, but very few flowers have well-documented signage, and most of the impressive ones aren't even local to Hawaii. The final 1/3rd actually overlaps the Onomea Bay Trail, which if you visited (for free!) would give you a better view of the coastline anyways.

So ultimately, if you're happy paying $30 to look at flowers for about an hour, go for it. But considering beautiful nature in Hawaii is all around you, going once is...

The Hawaii Tropical Biosphere offers a wonderfully relaxing and authentic experience of Hawaii's flora, steering clear of the typical high-octane tourist attractions. This hidden gem on the Big Island lets you bask in the rich biodiversity of the region, including a spectacular array of palms, flowering trees, and enchanting orchids.

For $30 per person ($25 for active military personnel and locals), this experience is a real steal. While it may not boast the adrenaline rush of zip-lining or ATV rides, it delivers a unique opportunity to connect with nature and enjoy a tranquil day amidst lush tropical surroundings.

A visit to the biosphere is like immersing oneself in a living, breathing postcard from paradise. However, be prepared for a drizzle or two - the island's unpredictable rain showers only add to its charm.

It's worth noting that even if botany isn't your forte, the biosphere still has plenty to offer. The serene environment provides a restful break from the usual hustle and bustle, and a stroll through its verdant paths is undeniably rejuvenating.

A four-star recommendation for anyone in search of a low-key yet captivating Hawaiian experience. Come for the plants, stay...